Spicing Up Your Hamburger

It is hard to think of a food that is more quintessentially American than the hamburger. A beef patty, bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, ketchup, and mustard or some combination of these are the familiar ingredients that make a great burger. Perhaps you're a hamburger lover, but you're looking for a diversion from the usual ingredients. Here are a few ways to spice things up.

Give the Patty Some Bulk

Instead of a plain hamburger, try mixing some ingredients in with the meat. One tasty alternative to putting a slice of cheese on the bun is to try mixing the cheese into the ground beef. This is especially delicious with bleu cheese. Adding some cheese crumbles will give the beef patty some bulk, and as it cooks the cheese will melt inside, creating a tasty combination of flavors built right into the patty. You can also try mixing nuts in with the ground beef. Walnuts add flavor and give the burger just a little bit of crunch.

Change Up the Toppings

Instead of the usual mustard and ketchup, try a spicy barbeque sauce or other unique sauce. Swap red onions for grilled onions. The caramelized flavor of grilled onions complements the flavor of the beef. Instead of iceberg lettuce, top your burger with some different greens. Spinach and arugula both taste great on burgers. Arugula goes especially well with a blue cheese filled patty. Experiment with different greens and cheeses to try.

Upgrade the Bun

Most people buy packaged hamburger buns from the bread aisle. The problem is that this gives you a limited number of options to work with: white, wheat, sesame, or onion-topped buns are the usual fare. To give your burger some pizazz, consider skipping the bread aisle altogether and head over to the bakery. Buy some fresh rolls to use for hamburger buns. Focaccia bread, Challah rolls, or Pumpernickel bread are just a few unique breads that you can use.

For More Ideas There really is no limit to the unique ingredients and number of different combinations that you can try to make your own special hamburger recipe. For more creative hamburger recipes and new ingredients to try in your burger, please visit the innovative cooking website CD Kitchen today. by Joseph Devine